Web interface with static data
by Ted Lilljegren · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 03/16/2008 (7:50 am) · 4 replies
I have just implented the resource which allows for you to communicate with a master server that stores all persistent data for players, to allow a kind of battle.net like create/join server style. The game is what i like to refer to as an a "online oldchol RPG", kind of like diablo 1/2. Anyways, now that i can have my users modify their character not only in game, but also through their web browsers, i was wondering what kind of stuff the users would like to do with their characters on the web. I have already decided to make a bazaar or something, where players can sell their equipment to other players over the web, is there anything else that players find funny, that would be suitable for a web interface? Any suggestions welcome
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#2
Its a good idea though, would have gone for it if it were not for my contempt on the virtual narcissism that spreads out more and more over online video games these days. Also, i stand f**king clueless to how such a picture would be generated. But i am gonna have to make an item called "Pink Feather Boa of Fashion".
03/16/2008 (6:31 pm)
If you think its fashionable with oily crude machineguns belching steam incorporating an unhealthy amount of cogs on bald guy/gals in torn clothing then yes =)Its a good idea though, would have gone for it if it were not for my contempt on the virtual narcissism that spreads out more and more over online video games these days. Also, i stand f**king clueless to how such a picture would be generated. But i am gonna have to make an item called "Pink Feather Boa of Fashion".
#3
They offer the game for free, but you can go to their website & purchase weapon & character upgrades thru their website.
03/17/2008 (11:05 pm)
Actually, I was curious if this could be done easily with Torque. The new business model that a few games have followed, as well as the next Battlefield title - online upgrade purchases.They offer the game for free, but you can go to their website & purchase weapon & character upgrades thru their website.
#4
http://www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=4085
It can be done quite easily, but you compromise security quite a bit, since you send all data through a web post, meaning that if any user learns the syntax for the url commands(eg: "www.mymasterserver.net/db/levelCharacter.php?lvls=100000") it is really easy for them to manipulate data on the master server. I have solved this by requiring all the php scripts to validate against a password i send from the server side. That should keep me safe unless someone reverse engineers the script file in which i save the global variable. Another smarter solution, which i was not able to do, is to have your url arguments encrypted. But since you got to have a decryption key(?) you might as well reverse engineer that to, although you would probably store this key in the php scripts.
Yeah it sounds like a good idea though, but i would be really (positively) surprised if someone liked my(or "ours" but i am the only one doing the coding stuff, so it is MY GAME!) game enough to buy items for real world money. You never know though. Pessimists get more stuff done, as long as they are not so pessimistic that they say "this cant be done"
03/19/2008 (8:56 am)
I used this resource to pull this off:http://www.garagegames.com/index.php?sec=mg&mod=resource&page=view&qid=4085
It can be done quite easily, but you compromise security quite a bit, since you send all data through a web post, meaning that if any user learns the syntax for the url commands(eg: "www.mymasterserver.net/db/levelCharacter.php?lvls=100000") it is really easy for them to manipulate data on the master server. I have solved this by requiring all the php scripts to validate against a password i send from the server side. That should keep me safe unless someone reverse engineers the script file in which i save the global variable. Another smarter solution, which i was not able to do, is to have your url arguments encrypted. But since you got to have a decryption key(?) you might as well reverse engineer that to, although you would probably store this key in the php scripts.
Yeah it sounds like a good idea though, but i would be really (positively) surprised if someone liked my(or "ours" but i am the only one doing the coding stuff, so it is MY GAME!) game enough to buy items for real world money. You never know though. Pessimists get more stuff done, as long as they are not so pessimistic that they say "this cant be done"
Torque 3D Owner Andrew Wiblemo